


Paper Trails

by Jaded_From_Life



Category: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, How Do I Tag, It's been months and I still don't know how to tag, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22679440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaded_From_Life/pseuds/Jaded_From_Life
Summary: When you go out to the world to become a hero without telling your family, don't expect your disappearance to not be noticed. And Mao Mao hasn't come home in a long time...
Comments: 50
Kudos: 245





	1. Minori Mao, the sister with the Golden Hat

Snowville was a cold town that never really stops snowing. 

That was it, really. The town itself was nothing special to write home about, and it isn’t even the only town of its kind; its only claim to fame was that it just happened to be the biggest and most populated, and that the weather that cloaked the entire region had not been a natural phenomenon (something about a powerful mage that died ages ago). 

And Minori Mao hated every single moment she spent here. The clothes she wore, while definitely helping to keep herself warm, were not designed to handle the winter; her feet were not spared as well, they sink into the snow and make every step feel cumbersome and akin to those times when her father would tie weights to her and her sisters’ arms and legs. Of course, she did not come to this region unprepared. Underneath her garments are several _Heat stones_ —enchanted rocks that radiate heat through stored magic—tied to her body. Though even the stones fall short whenever the icy winds pick up and hound her constantly. 

Her only source of reprieve from this snowy _hell_ was the local inn, governed by a fellow the townsfolk all refer to as “Barnes” (she isn’t sure if that was his actual name, nor does she care enough to find out). A few things about Barnes: he’s a middle-aged wolf with chest fur so thick that an entire mug could probably sink into it without leaving a trace, he is described as a man who “cuts no corners” (the townsfolks’ words, not hers), he’s the owner of the inn of Snowville , and he also serves as the bartender of the inn and has _been_ the bartender for as long as anyone in this town can remember. 

Which makes him the _perfect_ information hub. 

“Sorry, miss, but you're gonna hafta be more specific. I’ve seen a lotta cats travelin’ in ‘n out the town in my day.” 

In theory... 

Minori sighed, trying not to let her disappointment show through it. She had been in this town for two days now, not counting the five other days she’s spent trudging through this frozen wasteland and also going through four _other_ smaller towns for her search, and she has not been any closer to finding her objective. 

“It can’t be that difficult...” she tried, a hint of pleading sprinkling through her expression. She _really_ doesn’t wanna stay here longer than she has to. 

“Miss, you asked me if I ever saw a black or gray cat with a fancy lookin' sword. With that description and in this week alone, I could’ve given you three different people that came through here. That ain’t counting for the ones the folks round here don’t find interesting ‘nuff to talk about.” 

Minori would’ve slumped into the counter had she been any less dignified. Instead, she closed her eyes in thought. 

Truth be told, the description she had provided was... lacking, to say the least. Her brother, who had disappeared a few years ago, had not really left many memories to recall from. What little memory she has is fuzzy at best, and only the appearance of a small child were the ones to stand out the most vividly. She could not give a single concrete detail about him, which makes her search all the more frustrating. The best she could give are the familial traits that the Mao family are known for (and even on _that_ she isn’t entirely sure) and a katana. 

She'll be the first to admit that her brother’s disappearance wasn’t exactly something she and her sisters had noticed immediately nor were they particularly alarmed about it. Certainly not their dad who, on the same day, had already rose them from their sleep for some early morning exercises. It would be more accurate to say that their mom was the one to find out about their brother’s empty room before, in a state of hysteria that only a mother could have, called them all in about the situation. 

Ah, she could recall the rage rolling off her mother like it was yesterday...

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

_“Whaddaya mean ya don’t know where he is?!”_

_“Honey, please! You know I’m very busy all day, what with my hero work and training our daughters to become_ _legendary heroes_ _!”_

_“Oh, that’s all you ever do these days, ain’t it?! Too busy to even step one foot outta the dojo, I hardly see you lot without smellin’ like sweat 'n steel!”_

_“Now, dear, please put down the sword! T-there’s no need to get violent! B-besides, Mo Mo’s probably just went out exploring!”_

_“It’s Mao Mao, ya blockhead! God, ya can’t even get his name right! Ya better hope to yer ancestors there ain’t a single hair outta place on his head, or things are gonna get_ **_real_ ** _violent!”_

_“Y-yes, dear!”_

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Minori shuddered a bit at the memory. The sight of her mother brandishing her gigantic buster sword was as terrifying as it is awe-inspiring to witness. 

Memory aside, she refocused her attention on the bartender who had gone back to cleaning one of his glass mugs with a clean cloth (she's beginning to suspect it might be a compulsion on his part at this point, as he’s been cleaning the exact same mug every time she spots him doing it). 

“Do you at least know where some of these people are right now?” The information she’s given is insufficient, but if it helps her get out of this snowy hellscape any sooner, then she’ll take anything she can get. 

“Can’t say I do, miss. Adventurers like them don’t stay long in town, for obvious reasons.” 

(oh, yeah... she knows why) 

“Besides,” Barnes gave her a look-over “You say he’s your brother, right? None of ‘em look anything like you.” 

And there goes her leads. “Thank you for the information, at least.” Minori sighed before standing up from her stool and heading out the door. 

“I recommend hitching a ride in one of those caravans that regularly come in ‘n out the town, miss. Just a little bit of gold oughta be worth getting through the blizzard.” 

Minori stopped midway through the door, and if one were to listen close enough, one could hear the heavy breathing emanating from her like rolling waves. “... Thank you for that, sir,” she replied before exiting and closing the door with just a _little_ too much force than necessary. 

Once outside, Minori gasped as the cold wind blew at her. She quickly grabbed her hat and turned it upside down before digging a hand inside. She rummaged around inside the pocket dimension of her hat before pulling out a sash fashioned with _Heat stones_. She fastened the sash over herself and let out a sigh of relief as her temperature returned to manageable levels. With her body being properly warmed, she took to the streets to find the mentioned caravans. 

The wind blew harder and visibility became poor; Minori suspects that a blizzard may be coming. As it is, she could not see very far in front of her. So it would be no surprise that she might collide with something along the way. Speaking of colliding— 

Something hard brushed harshly against her left shoulder, and Minori let out a hiss. She turned to look at what hit her, and saw a large badger guy with a helmet made white by the snow. 

“Sorry about that. Kinda hard to see,” said the badger, his voice muffled by the mask. 

“It’s fine,” Minori replied, rubbing her shoulder. “Couldn’t see two feet in this weather.” 

The badger laughed. “True.” 

“Badgerclops, you’re falling behind,” growled a deeper voice that belonged to someone that Minori couldn’t see. “Don’t make me wait for you.” 

“Alright, dude. Sheesh.” The badger ran to catch up to his partner. 

Minori’s gaze lingered on the two before a strong blow from the icy wind quickly made her pick up the pace herself. 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

The door to the inn opens with a kick, and cold wind blows throughout the place. 

Barnes growled irritably, eyes narrowing towards the newcomers. Two people – a badger with a goggled helmet over his head and a cybernetic arm that seemed to have caught a bit of frost underneath the seams, and with him is what may be a cat wearing a grey-colored snowsuit with a red cape hanging over his back and wearing the same goggled helmet that the last guy had (he recognizes the design from one of the locals: Ann) carrying a large sack over his shoulder. 

“I’m telling you, dude! That bear was _not_ normal, they don’t grow sizes that big,” said the badger, removing his helmet.

“Badgerclops, it was a polar bear. And the locals said that place was a hotspot gathering of magic that it decided to make a home out of, the innate magic must’ve fed it and made it larger, among other things.” 

“What are you? Some kind of magic nerd? 

“No, I just read about it from one of my sister’s books. Look it up, Badgerclops.” 

“Pffft. Whatever, dude. Let’s just get the bounty and get out of this place. The frost inside my robo-arm are literally getting thicker by the minute.” 

The maybe-a-cat swiveled his head around until the goggles of his helmet landed on Barnes. “Bartender!” he exclaimed, sauntering over to him before plopping down the large sack onto the counter. “The wretched beast has been slain! You were correct in your assumption; it was indeed a bear fed by the natural energies of the land! It was a fearsome foe with a crude control over the ice, made only more powerful by its animalistic ferocities! Me and my companion are here to drop off the spoils and collect the reward!” 

Barnes untied the sack and took a peek inside. After a moment, he looked up from it and raised a brow at the guy in front of him. “And the spices?” 

“Right. Almost forgot,” the maybe-a-cat-he's-still-not-sure person murmured in reply. He grabbed a small pouch from his waist and dropped a smaller sack next to the larger one. 

Barnes took the smaller sack and pocketed it. “That’ll net you about two hundred gold pieces,” he said. 

The badger’s one eye opened and widened. “Woah, really?” He turns to his smaller companion. “Dude, that is a _lot_!” 

“Hrmmmmm...” The snowsuit guy stroked the bottom of his helmet. “That _is_ a lot. A lot more than I estimated,” he murmured before growling irritably. “This helmet feels so cramped.” He grabbed onto the sides of his helmet and, with a hiss, took it off. 

Barnes’ eyes narrowed critically. The person was most definitely a cat—a black cat to be precise. His green eyes have a rather sharp look to them, and now that he’s looking, he could see a sheathed sword clipped onto his waist. 

“Dude, we can get some beer and stay for the night, and still have enough to get some upgrades for the aerocycle!” 

“We are _not_ spending money on such things!” 

Barnes cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the two. “’Scuse me, sir, but what’s the color of your sword?” 

The cat guy raised a brow. “Uh, golden. Why?” 

“And your name?” 

“Mao Mao,” the cat guy answered. “Look, is this going anywhere? I mean, if you’re a fan of mine, can we get to the autographs later? I forgot my—” 

“S’just that someone came in here a while ago. Was a black cat like you...” _Mao_ _Mao_ froze. “Was wearin’ a golden hat...” 

***BAM***

The cat guy slammed his hands down on the table, eyes wide and almost fearful...? “What... Did she say who she was?!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hgggggghhhhh... I'm starving for some Mao Mao content. Cartoon Network, why?!?!?!?!?!?!
> 
> Well, fine! If you're not gonna gimme some, I'll make them myself! Anyway, this took waaaaaay longer than it should've. Really, I should've been done with this a while ago. And screw it, this took way too long, I'm not even gonna bother proofreading this.
> 
> So why did I start with her? Well, for one, she's one of two out of five sisters that have names, and I literally used an online coin flipper to decide a lot of things for the story. She's the first out of a self-made five man band line up of Mao sisters (I literally just looked it up on Tvtropes for this one).
> 
> ... I really need a muse.


	2. Jhin Mao, the sister with the Golden Scarf

Metropolitan City is the place where anyone can be anything. 

That is of course a hyperbole, for the dull folk out there. Located smack dab in the middle of the entire continent, and slowly expanding on a yearly basis, it is the largest capital city in the map to date and the forefront of an industrial and modern society; the population count comes around the thousands, currently tens of thousands, with people coming in to either make a name for themselves or to tour around the different landmarks. It is often referred to as the “ _Golden City”_. 

Of course, that meant it’s an attraction for a variety of people. For now, we focus on the... less savory type of people. In a city as large as Metropolitan, there will inevitably be a few bad eggs; from the low-level thug to full-on supervillains, there’s almost no shortage of crimes happening around the city. 

So when passersby hear the noises of a fight in an alleyway, the most obvious reaction would be to keep their head down and move along slightly quicker, and for the more Samaritan inclined folk, they quickly dialed the police station to alert them of this recent disturbance. 

What these innocent onlookers didn’t know was that their fear was misplaced. For it was not whatever imagined victim that was being beat up in the alleyway, but rather the thugs who drew the short end of the stick. 

“ _Ack_ !” ***WHAM***

Oh, there’s one that just got thrown into a wall! 

“This girl is crazy, man! The hell the boss thinkin’ sending us against a hero?!” one of the thugs, a dog, exclaimed from behind a trash bin. 

“She was wearin’ civvie clothes, dude! And she got that gold scarf on her and boss thought it’d be easy money!” said another one, a lizard this time, who was huddling next to the first thug. 

“Gold scarf?! Yo, that ain’t no ordinary person, that’s the fuckin’ Golden Wind! She’s ain’t just a hero, she’s freakin’ legendary!” 

“Aw, didn’t know I had a fan in your little group.” The two thugs froze as they heard a girl’s voice on top of them. They looked up and saw the cat girl who had been beating their group up crouched on top of the bin they’ve been hiding in. “Almost feel bad for beating you guys up. Heh, almost.” She grabbed the dog thug by the collar. “Alright, I’m gonna ask you something real—oh come on.” 

Lizard thug had chosen this moment to dash out the alleyway, leaving his friend out to dry. “Fuckin’ asshole...” hissed the dog thug. 

“Gimme a sec.” 

The cat girl drops the thug on the ground before she was enveloped in a blinding glow and became what could only be described as a streak of light. It shot towards the other thug, stopping just in front of him and blocking his path. The light transformed back into the cat girl, this time standing in front of the lizard thug with her arms crossed. A swift roundhouse kick to the stomach and the runaway thug joined the pile of unconscious bodies in the alley. 

“Alright, let’s get back to business.” In another flash of light, the girl reappeared in front of the dog thug and hoisted him up, holding him by the collar of his shirt. “You know who I am, right?” 

“Y-You’re JhinMao, the Golden Wind,” murmured the trembling thug. “Your scarf lets you go fast like the wind.” 

“Good!” Jhingrinned widely. “You might actually help me with something!” 

Dog thug trembled, a small whine escaping his mouth. What would a legendary hero like her want with someone like him? 

“See, I’ve been going around places. Beating up thugs like you—” 

Is she going to throw him in jail? Obviously. But what’ll she do to him first? What do legendary heroes really do to lowly thugs like him? Beat them up senselessly? Tie him up to a pole with his own underwear? Shove him into some secret underground hero lair to be tortured, never to see the light of day? 

“—so I need you to... Hey, are you listening?” 

Man, he should’ve never showed up today. No, he should’ve never let his stupid friends convince him to joining their stupid gang. He should’ve stayed a baker like his parents and his parents’ parents. If there was a god listening out there, he would beg for a second chance right now because—

Jhin slapped the thug out of his thoughts. Thrice. “Hey, it’s rude to zone out when someone’s talking to you.” 

“W-wha...?” 

“Ha, who am I kidding? I do it all the time when Shiori opens her mouth,” said the cat girl, more to herself than the thug, before dropping said thug and crouching to eye-level with him. “So, I’m looking for a guy. He’s about, mmm, a head shorter than me, probably? Got dark fur, green eyes—or maybe grey fur and yellow eyes, I dunno’—probably got a golden something, all of us got something golden from pa...” 

As the cat girl rambled on, Dog thug tried to sneakily crawl away before he would be noticed. No more than a few inches away however, his tail was suddenly stomped on, causing him to yelp in pain. He twisted around and his panicked look met directly with Jhin’s unamused look. 

“I’m asking you a question, bud,” Jhin growled lowly with a glare. “There’s two ways this can go. You give me an answer, or you give me an answer with broken bones. Capiche?” 

Dog thug nodded quickly with a gulp. “O-okay...” 

“Good. I’m looking for someone—” 

“Cat, a head shorter, dark fur, green eyes, and something golden?” Dog thug parroted quickly. 

Jhin’s eyes narrowed, a brief look of irritation flashing before disappearing just as quick. “So you _were_ listening. Anyway, his name’s Mao Mao. No, I don’t know who came up with the name. Seen someone like that?” 

The thug has not in fact seen this person, nor has he ever heard anyone that has a surname for a name. The thug mused that this person must’ve been born under an unlucky star if “Mao Mao” was actually his name. The person’s name aside, the thug must think _very_ carefully. If the only reason his face is still _un_ punched is that he could give the hero answers, then whatever he says next has to be well-thought-out. 

“... I don’t know who that is.” Evidently, the thug is not much for thinking. 

Jhin groaned irritably. “Damn, thought you’d be the jackpot or something.” She cocked her fist back, prepping up a punch. 

_No wait!_ The thug opened his mouth to speak with his arms raised in protest, but had no time to vocalize his thoughts before the cat girl’s fist collided with his face and the thug was welcomed by the sweet embrace of unconsciousness. 

**-0-**

_Apartment suite_

Jhin opened the door to her apartment room and stepped inside, sighing heavily. She kicks the door behind him and practically hovers to her bed before crashing down on it with a groan. She sat up, back on the bed’s headboard, and proceeded to take dig into her pockets to pull out a phone. She navigates to her messages and finds her sister’s name.

**MINORI**

Hey, sis. You there?  


You caught me in a good time. Just got out of the frozen north region. 

Cool, cool. So... How're you doing? 

WDYM? 

Like, how's the search going? I hit a dead end today. Again.  
I don't think he's in the city 

Neither is he in this region. Have you heard from the others? 

Nah, you're the first I contacted.

Hm.... We need to change our strategy.

Sure. Where we gonna meet?

Let's meet back home. I'm going to call the others.

Sounds like a plan ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this so quickly because I said to myself "fuck word count, fuck context, fuck caring for every single detail, it's a fanfic and it doesn't even matter in the long run"... Uggggggghhhhhhhhhh
> 
> Also, my Internet is dying on me so I had the time.
> 
> You know, I heard from somewhere that Jhin is derived from a Mandarin word meaning "gold".


	3. Kara Mao, the sister with the Golden Bangles

Hamlet was a quaint place. A sleepy town with a history as old as the town mayor’s family tree (no seriously, they have a literal oak tree with pictures of the mayor’s family tree right in their backyard), and arguably the first settlement in the land ever, which made it sort of a landmark and a popular place for visitors. 

In fact, one of its most popular spots is the Guild tavern – a peculiarity that only few places really have. It is the first ever recorded “guild” to have ever been formed, and its history and age are showed by just the appearance of the tavern; old with a kind of creaky vibe to it, made of lumber and what bits that aren’t are plastered with cement like half-decent patchworks, and a sign with the name “The Guild” hung on the roof like a cherry on top of a cake. 

Evidently, creativity was not a criterion that was ever considered during the time of its making. 

The insides shared the same motif as well; the floorboards are wooden and creaky, looking up reveals a few cobwebs hidden in corners too high and too deep in to sweep away, and the entire building is lit up by lanterns hung over the walls. People littered the building as well, chattering among each other. Or, well, some of them are. 

However, one person stood out from the crowd. Staring in front of a noticeboard is a cat girl. Normally, such a character wouldn’t attract much attention, but this one was different. The orange cape over a white Gi with rolled up sleeves and equally orange leg wraps, belt, and bandana were already recognizable enough, but there was one thing that confirmed the person’s identity – the golden bangles. 

This was no ordinary person—this was a legend among heroes. Kara Mao, the Golden Shield. 

Throughout the tavern, heads turned to her. The people drawn to her presence spoke in whispers, talking among themselves. Things like “Is that Kara Mao”, “What’s she doing here”, and “She’s shorter than I thought”. 

That last one got the person a smack in the head. 

Questions upon questions, remarks upon remarks. They were all thrown around, all revolving around the legendary figure that had graced them with her presence. 

And for what felt like an infinitesimally long time, the hero reaches out for one of the many posted quests on the board before proceeding to head towards out the door. As she left, the whole place exploded in a cacophony of noises, all of them thinking, _“What did she pick?”_

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Kara Mao hummed a tune to herself as she picks up a rather peculiar looking fruit that she had kicked off a tree and placed it into the basket she bought back in the town. The mission she’s taken came from an apothecary who wanted medicinal herbs from the forest for her brew, and really, she very much appreciates the mundanity of the request. Between common thugs, super-villains, and monsters that ranged from small to gigantic, she needed the occasional reminder that not everything is a high-octane adventure. 

Offhandedly, she wondered what her sisters were doing right now. If they were still looking for... 

“Hey, you heard the rumors?” 

Kara’s ears flicked in response to the new sound. Voices, but it’s nothing like any she heard back in town. 

“What?” 

“There’s a bigshot hero in the town nearby. Like, really big, from what I heard from the others.” 

“Think it’s gonna ruin the boss’s plans?” 

_Boss?_ Kara huffed to herself. Great, bandits then. So much for peace and quiet. She tosses the basket upwards and had it snagged on a tree branch by the handle. Once she was sure it wasn’t gonna fall, she tapped her golden bangles together—golden light shimmers from what seems to be within the items itself—and sprints off to the direction she heard the voices came from. 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Tanya Keys would rather be anywhere else but here. 

For context, she’s been contracted with a bounty—another upstart bandit leader, a raccoon, in charge of a group of other raccoons who wanted to cause some trouble anywhere they go—and has gone incognito deep within their hideout to scope out the target’s threat level. 

And, so far, in the three days she’s been here, she was unimpressed by this ragtag group (not that she was expecting much, but still). 

None of these wannabe bandits here stood out as any semblance of threat. They’re all just about as smart as each other (that is to say, not very smart), and their so-called leader was a petty thief to the core with no ambition aside from hoarding the gold and trinkets he finds. In fact, she’s put more effort into hiding among them than the group does when they do their little heists, and she honestly feel like this contract was quite literally beneath her. Still, the reward for this job was high enough to convince Tanya, and it would be a huge dent to her reputation if she just upped and left all of a sudden because she believed she could be taking contracts that were more up her level. 

Which leads to the current scenario of Tanya choking the living daylights out of the bandit leader. Partly because she’d rather not alarm the entire camp, partly because fighting the guy wasn’t worth the effort, and partly because she’s venting her admittedly petty frustrations at her target. 

It was a very comical sight to witness—Tanya choking the raccoon bandit so hard that his eyes were close to popping out of his sockets while obscenities that are too improper for any kind of polite conversation were being thrown around (mostly by Tanya though). 

“Boss! Boss!” Suddenly, another raccoon burst through the tent. “We got a situat—Oy, who the—!” Tanya threw a leaf towards the bandit that then morphed into an anvil and met the poor guy’s face with a resounding ***BANG***

The bandit did not get up from Tanya's rather slapstick-esque attack. 

Once she tied up her target in some rope she had “borrowed”, she did notice that there was a loud commotion happening outside. Which is a little alarming because in spite of the blatant incompetence by this group, their camp was still hidden well and deep into the forest. So, for someone to find this place and is loud enough to cause a ruckus would mean complications for Tanya, and she’d rather get this all over with already. 

A puff of smoke later, and Tanya was now disguised as the bandit leader. She strode out of the tent, bellowing “ _Hell’s breath_ , what’s going on out here?!” 

The scene she arrived in was utter chaos – bandits were running around with spears and daggers in hand (or just with their fists), some were running awaylike the spineless cowards they are, the bandits who weren’t doing those two things are either hiding in corners or strewn about in varying states of unconsciousness, and at the centre of it all was a black cat in a Gi beating the crap out of anyone in arms reach. 

… Well then, isn’t this interesting. 

The bandits who _weren’t_ unconscious noticed her arrival and ran behind her to rally. “You’re in for it now, hero! The boss’s gonna mess you up!” one of them yelled out. 

Tanya doesn’t know what kind of fantasy that guy was living in because there was no way their leader could be taking on anyone under the title of “hero”. 

The cat huffed out loud, glaring eyes meeting Tanya’s bewildered own. “So you’re the boss around here, huh?” 

Tanya opens her mouth. “Uh...” She didn’t get much out before the cat jumped at her with fists ready to sock her in the face. Before her opponent reached her, Tanya disappeared in a puff of smoke and relocated to the side. The hero’s fists had missed her, but the two bandits that were behind Tanya were not so lucky as they were launched crashing into the tent behind them. 

“Whoa, boss! I didn’t know you could teleport!” exclaimed one bandit that rolled next to Tanya. 

“Shut up, you idiot!” Tanya snapped, not even bothering to speak in the same voice as the person she was disguised and punching the raccoon in the face. She then turned to the cat who’s once again giving her a look that would kill if it could. “Look, I think there’s been a misunderstanding...” She held her hands up in surrender to pacify the hero before her. 

A thrown thug was her answer, and Tanya had to roll out of the way to avoid the improvised projectile. “Come on, hear me out, will you?” 

“When you’re behind bars, then you can talk.” The cat backhanded a bandit as she spoke. 

“Oh, so you _can_ talk!” Tanya exclaimed, clapping her hands. “See, I wouldn’t blame you, but you’re _kinda_ stepping on a few toes here. As in, my toes. You’re stepping on my toes here.” 

“Your toes aren’t the only things you should be worrying about getting stepped on,” growled the cat as she cracked her knuckles. 

Tanya then realized she was talking to the hero while still disguised as the bandit leader. “Okay, I see the problem.” 

The cat lunged at her, and Tanya was unable to evade her this time. In a puff of smoke, Tanya’s disguise came off as both girls tumbled down each other. The cat stared down at the tanuki, not at all bothered by the smoke, and has Tanya pinned down underneath her. 

Tanya huffed, struggling against her captor. “Okay, how about you cool your jets, sister. Who the heck even are you?” 

“That’s—!” 

The cat wasn’t able to say anymore as one bandit took the opportunity to jump on top of her, dragging her away from Tanya. Another bandit then went to her side. “Whoa, boss, I didn’t know you can shapeshift!” the bandit exclaimed, hauling Tanya up. 

Again, they’re not very smart. 

Tanya growled. “Are you the same guy I punched earlier?! I’m not your boss! I’m a bounty hunter!” Her fist was quick to collide with the bandit’s face, knocking him out effectively. She searched for the hero and found a bunch of bandits trying to dogpile said hero. In her mind, she debated whether it was worth helping the cat. She _did_ interfere with Tanya’s bounty work, which is a clear violation of guild laws even _if_ she was gonna be just about done anyway, but she’s also supposedly some bigshot hero and getting on good terms with one would give her reputation the boost of a lifetime.

…

Eh, might as well. Tanya didn’t make it into the big leagues because she played by the book, and she’ll have a hero owing her a favor too. 

Brandishing a handful of her leaves, Tanya threw them and the leaves morphed into spinning bolas midair that then wrapped up five bandits and gave the trapped hero some allowance, which was all the hero needed to break through. With a loud roar, the cat broke out of the pile with a burst of golden energy and threw off all the other bandits that were on top of her. 

It was there, as the golden bangles glowed bright enough to blind, that Tanya realized that she wasn’t dealing with some random hero. She was in fact in the presence of the legendary Hero – Kara Mao. 

Tanya can just _taste_ the opportunity that was being given to her, and what she’s tasting is nothing short of _richly goodness_. 

Shaking out of her reverie, Tanya leapt forward to join the fight, grabbing a bandit that was trying to sneak up on the hero and yanking him away before tossing the raccoon to the side. The cat snapped her attention to Tanya with a surprised look. 

Tanya grins. “Why don’t we clean up here first? Then we can talk like proper adults.”

The hero’s eyes narrowed sharply in suspicion before turning her attention the bandits circling the two of them. Tanya took that as a _yes_. 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

_Back at the town_

Kara doesn’t know what to think of the tanuki. Now, out of all her sisters, she was pretty confident with her people skills. She’s an excellent judge of character. Now this “Tanya Keys”? 

Well, Kara wouldn’t call the bounty hunter shifty but she’s certainly not gonna call her trustworthy either. Her eyes were just rife with hidden agendas and she certainly isn’t fooling Kara with honeyed words and tales of good deeds. She recognizes the tanuki’s type. 

Tanya hefts the unconscious and rope-bound bandit leader up on her shoulder. “I’m gonna dump this guy to a cell and get the bounty from the guild. Wait for me a bit?” She gestures to a café to the side. 

Kara huffed, but nods anyway. She can at least hear the bounty hunter out. Tanya gives her a grin before sauntering off to her destination. Kara turns her attention to the aforementioned café and gave it a quick inspection. 

It looked relatively new compared to the other buildings in the town, its pastel pink paint making it stand out from the dull or worn out colors of the rest of houses and shops in the town. On the roof is a sign with emboldened capital words that read “ **AUNTIE’S CAFÉ AND BAKERY** ”. Peering inside, Kara could see its tables were fairly populated—ranging from simple townsfolk to adventurers—and as she opened the door, the smell of freshly baked bread and brewed coffee invited itself to her senses just as quickly as she stepped inside. 

Much like the town it was based on, it was a quaint little place, in spite of its relative newness. 

As Kara went to find a free table, eyes fell upon her and the whole place went silent. And as quick as the silence came, it went out just as quickly as the entire place exploded into commotion. 

“Is that Kara Mao?! THE Kara Mao?!” 

“Dude, holy shit! My brother told me he saw Kara Mao earlier this morning! I thought he was lying out his ass!” 

“ _Ohmigodohmigodohmigod_ _!_ ”

“Deep breaths, girl! You’re gonna pass out and miss out on this!”

People clamored towards her, some stumbling and falling over while the rest made their way towards her, their voices blending in a cacophony of exclamations and questions. It took all of Kara’s willpower not to wince and muster up a crooked smile in response to the flood of attention she’s getting all at once.

“I, uhn... Than...” Kara finds her tongue tied, unable to form any words at all. 

“Alright, you youngins, back up! Give the girl some space!” To Kara’s relief, a small but rather portly bird came to her rescue, standing above the crowd and yelling loud enough to overtake the noise. “Get back to your seats before I force you all on it and glue you to the chairs myself!” 

This seemed to do it as the crowd was quick to disperse, some wore faces of shame while others blanched in response to the commanding voice of the bird, and they went back to their seats. Some still stole glances over Kara, no doubt still wanting to come over and meet her. 

The bird turns to face her, and Kara’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her face—or more specifically, the large scar that ran from her right eye and down to her beak making it look cracked and only one swing away from breaking completely. The bird simply grins at her. “You alright, yeah? Kids these days don’t know how to respect their betters,” she tells Kara before sauntering away. 

“Ah...” Kara couldn’t get a word in before the bird disappeared behind the counter. “ _Thanks_ ,” she murmured quietly. She got back to searching for a table and found one at the corner of the shop. Quickly making her way towards it and claiming it for her own, there was not much to do but wait for the bounty hunter from earlier to come find her here. 

As she waited, she wondered what her brother looked like, which one of their parents did he took after and how old he must be right now. She wondered what she should say to him once she found him. 

What _could_ she say to him? 

The sound of swinging doors and a bell being rung brought Kara out of her thoughts and she turned her attention to the person that entered. It was the bounty hunter, looking around for her. Their sights meet and the tanuki gave her a grin as she made her way towards the table. 

“Well, well. Didn’t think you’d be here at all,” Tanya remarked amusedly. “You didn’t look like you wanted to stick around.” 

Kara scoffed. “I keep my promises, despite my judgement.” 

Tanya laughed as she took a seat across her. “Never doubted you. You want anything? They make the _best_ pies in town.” 

Kara crossed her arms, giving the tanuki a bemused look. “I’m not here to indulge you, bounty hunter. What do you want from me?” 

“Oh, you’re no fun.” Tanya rolls her eyes, smirking all the while. “Fine, fine. Here’s the deal. See, earlier, you did a pretty big oopsie interfering with my work.” 

Kara quirked a brow. “I took down an entire camp of bandits hiding out in the woods.” 

Tanya tut-tutted, wagging a finger at Kara in a chiding manner. “Ah, but _I_ was on the job. And intruding with bounty hunter work like that is liable for guild punishment. Gotta make sure no two hunters steal from the other and all that.” 

“I helped you though.” 

“That you did.” Tanya nodded, more cheekily rather than happily. “That’s why I chose not to include your _arrival_ in my report.” 

“But?” Kara’s stare is starting to transform into a glare. 

“Quick on the draw, I see. I like that. But my generosity isn’t without price.” 

Kara huffed. “What? You want money, is that it?” 

Tanya barked out a laugh. “Money? Girl, I’m a bounty hunter, and a good one at that, I make money by the truckloads.” She shakes her head. “No, no. All I want is something simple— _Exposure_.” 

“Explain.” 

Tanya leans back. “See, season’s been a bit dry lately. And while I _did_ say I’m a pretty good bounty hunter, I’m not _quite_ there yet. Sometimes, I get passed over for other more... _reputable_ hunters and given the small fry contracts. And honestly, I could use a break from thugs and random troublemakers that _somehow_ earns a spot in the bounty list.” She clasps her hands together. “So, what would happen if a hero—not just any hero, a _legendary_ hero—were to go around and, say, tell certain people that, for the right price, they can call up a certain bounty hunter.” Tanya gives her a wink and mimics a phone with her hand. 

Kara quirks a brow. “Is that it?” 

“Sure, unless you want to do something else for me. I won’t object~” 

Kara mulls on the offer. On one hand, it doesn’t seem all that demanding and she could just rope her sisters in to help her out, but on the other, advertising bounty hunters is completely unheroic and goes against the Heroes Code. 

As she debated the pros and cons in her head, a thought snuck in. What if she could...? Yeah, that might work. She’s a bounty hunter after all, her job is to look for people. 

Kara returns her attention to the tanuki, only to see her happily helping herself to some pie that _somehow_ got there while she was thinking to herself. She stared at it longer than she’d care to admit. 

Tanya notices her. “What? You looked so deep in thought I got myself some food. You don’t know what you’re missing out on,” she says before jamming another spoonful of pie in her mouth. 

Kara shook her head. “Alright, I’ll do it.” 

Tanya grins.

“But I want you to do something for me.”

Tanya loses the grin. “That’s usually not how these things work, kitten.”

“I’ll pay you if I have to.” Kara leans forward, expression serious. “I’m looking for someone. My brother, his name is Mao Mao. 

Tanya blinked, looking taken aback. “Your... brother? What about him? I would’ve thought you of all people would know where he is.” There was a rather pointed tone to her voice that Kara ignores. 

“He disappeared a few years ago. Me and my sisters have been looking for him ever since.” 

Tanya slumps down her chair. “ _Huh, didn’t think he had it in him,_ ” she murmured quietly, but Kara can still hear her all the same. 

“Do you... Do you know him?” 

“Know him? We used to work together,” Tanya replied. She hums in thought. “Tell you what, you do what I ask and I’ll look for him, free of charge. Been a while since I’ve had a chat with Mittens anyway.”

Kara’s eyes lit up with joy and a huge smile spread across her lips, any thoughts about this random bounty hunter nicknaming her long-lost brother “Mittens” swiftly blocked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna say this. I hate myself. I've been meaning to finish and post this at the day MMHOPH comes out of hiatus as a sort of celebration for the show. But now I'm days late and I missed my chance, so I just wanna tear my heart out in frustration. I am so damn lazy and I procrastinated so much that weeks have gone by without a single paragraph to add to this chapter. Until I can kick my ass hard enough to put out a chapter just so I can get you guys' attention (and also because I am invested into this fandom and this story's concept and idea). 
> 
> But you guys didn't come here to listen to me rant, so I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter at least, though I'm probably gonna come back to this and think "Man, I sure did miss out on some things that I could've added in to make it more content rich and hopefully enjoyable for the readers" but as they say - hindsight is 20/20 - and I'm never satisfied with my own work anyway. It is a curse well known to creative folks, I'm sure.
> 
> Stay safe out there, and do please leave some feedback if you'd be so kind. Remember, feedback makes the creative world go round!... I haven't been saying that at all, and I used to try so hard to make it like some sort of slogan for me and you readers.
> 
> FFFFFFuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu--!


	4. And now, a brief Intermission

If Mao Mao were to be honest with himself, and he meant _completely_ honest, him and Badgerclops had more in common with vagabonds than the heroes he proclaims themselves to be. As much as he would shout to the heavens that he is a TRUE HERO, it wasn't very often that the two of them would actually commit heroic feats. At least, not to the standards Mao Mao has been taught as a kid. Sure, they'd take quests from guild taverns here and there, save the occasional hapless merchant and/or townsfolk beset by raiders or monsters, accidentally stumble upon an ancient temple that one time (which funnily enough is where they found the gem cell that powers the Aero-cycle), and maybe encounter a supervillain that would truly test the duo's strength and will if they're lucky. But those were usually either happenstances or the duo needing to cover living expenses, and only ever about being a selfless and righteous hero in the rare occasion that it was neither the former nor the latter.

Where Mao Mao's sisters would be out saving the world, him and Badgerclops are repairing a house they crashed into that one time. Where Mao Mao's sisters would be foiling the schemes of tyrants and warlords, him and Badgerclops are fixing the Aero-cycle because Mao Mao's stubbornness led to the two of them flying into a storm and getting hit by lightning (Badgerclops didn't talk to him for an entire week, although that might be more due to the seizures than his friend being bitter). Where Mao Mao's sisters would be out there making a name for themselves and leaving a mark on the world, him and Badgerclops are busy doing odd-jobs like food delivery that his friend forced him into because they needed money.

To acknowledge these truths is to invite ruinous powers upon his dangerously _(not)_ fragile pride, and since his pride is _not_ at all weak (because heroes aren't weak), he has banished any thoughts of ever comparing himself to a mere vagabond.

But there are times when even legendary heroes (or in Mao Mao's case, soon-to-be) must face the tragic truths of reality, and none forces Mao Mao to acknowledge these truths as hard as hiding out in a Motel in the middle of nowhere and locking himself in a room because he doesn't trust himself to go outside and not get found by his sisters while Badgerclops is increasingly becoming more and more exasperated with him.

"C'mon, man, you're overreacting! Why can't we just hit the next town and leave quickly if you're _this_ paranoid?" Badgerclops suggested for what is to be the fifth time since Mao Mao holed himself underneath his bed-sheets.

Mao Mao pops his head out of the cover, his expression rife with fear. "No! No towns and or cities! They'll obviously find me there" He shook his head, his breath quickening with anxiety. "Who am I kidding?! _Of course_ they know where I am! They're already on their way, I can feel it!" He covers himself inside the sheets again with a whimper.

Badgerclops rolled his eyes with a groan. "Dude, they're your sisters, not freaking bloodhounds. I doubt they even know what part of the map we are."

"How would you know?! One of them has true sight!"

"True sight, not clairvoyance. There's a difference."

"It doesn't _matter_!" Mao Mao wailed, sounds of sniffling emanating from within his cocoon of cotton. "When they find me, my life as a hero is over!"

Badgerclops groaned again. "But _why_ , dude? Don't you write to them or something?"

Mao Mao peeks out of his covers, his green eyes glowing with shame. "I may have—" he sniffled, "—forgotten to write to them. And I also didn't—" he paused to blow his nose with a handkerchief, "—ugh, didn't actually tell them I left. Like, at all."

"What?!" Badgerclops's visible eye widened. "Well, no wonder they're looking for you! They gotta be worried sick! When was the last time you even saw them?!"

Mao Mao hiccuped. "When I was still a young teenager? Maybe? I dunno', I wanted to become a hero before I actually went home, okay?! I can't show up to my family empty handed!"

" _Dude,_ " Badgerclops sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You can't just do that to family, man. You should've at least, like, texted them or something... Does your family have phones?"

"And I suppose _you've_ been keeping up with _your_ family?" Mao Mao asked pointedly.

"...Okay, first off, low blow, and second, fair point. Why can't you just, I dunno', go back to them? Tell them you're _sorry_ for not telling them you left or let them know what you've been doing? That seems like a pretty cut 'n dry solution to me."

"You don't understand! My sisters finding me won't even be the worst part about it! It's my mom who I'm worried about!" Mao Mao shuddered, clutching the sheet tighter as to nearly scratch them. "She'll ground me for the rest of my life!"

" _Pffft!_ What are you, five? Dude, you're an adult, your mom can't just ground you to your room like that and expects you to just _not_ leave."

"...I didn't tell you who my mom is, did I?"

And as Mao Mao enlightened his friend on the identity of his mother, the cat found himself honestly impressed on how quickly a person can visibly pale.

** -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0- **

" _Ak-choo!_ " the matriarch of the Mao family sneezed rather loudly.

"Bless you," said a small mouse in a maid outfit as she swept across the floor.

"Ach, felt like someone's talkin' about me."

"Who _wouldn't_ be talking about the _Iron Dragon_?"

"It's Iron _Hurricane_ , ya git, and ya missed a spot over there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't get excited now, it's just a little afterthought I decided to put in. A little bone your way, in a manner of speaking.


	5. Shiori Mao and Brunhilde Mao, the sisters with the Golden Contacts and Golden Spear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's hyped for season two?! I AM!!!... is what I'd say if I had released this chapter the day or even the week the announcement was made. Oh well.
> 
> So here's the usual thing-- Procrastination, blah blah blah need a muse, I hate myself, blah blah blah self deprecation joke. Here's what you'd be interested in: new chapter featuring the rest of the sisters because I couldn't be bothered to write them individually, and a small revision for chapter 1 and 2. And now that I have all the sisters introduced...!
> 
> I have no idea what to do next... Anyway, I kept you here long enough. Read on!

The temple of Axolotl. It is one of many temples built curiously under the same name. To its once living worshippers—practitioners of the darkest of magics and the vilest of rituals in the name of their dark lord, it is their place of attunement to their dark patron. To historians, it is a place of knowledge to be archived and preserved in a more secure location, if only so that no one... _untoward_ may happen upon it. To adventurers, it is a treasure trove of artifacts to sell and gold to loot. 

One object in particular stands out from the rest—the _“Eye of Cipher"_. It is said to have belonged to a one-eyed demon and had been torn out during its defeat many years ago. Speculations and theories on the identity of this demon and its vanquisher are still ongoing to this very day, but that’s an entirely different discussion for another time. For now, the artifact. 

Located deep in the heart of the temple, many brave but ultimately foolish people have tried to claim the eye for themselves and suffered the consequences of their arrogance. But not because of the booby traps, though there are a _lot_ of them for sure. No, for it is the artifact itself to claim the infamy of having a sizable body count. For you see, coming into contact with the eye has a very deadly effect of inflicting the unfortunate victim of the knowledge known and learned by the demon over what is speculated to be centuries old, if not more, and the mortal mind is simply incapable of comprehending even a tenth of this ancient knowledge. So devious and capable of taking lives even from beyond the grave, it must’ve been a truly powerful demon. 

Which is why it must be secured, and the _“Archival Guild”_ has employed two of its members to the task. Shiori Mao the Golden Eye and Brunhilde Mao the Golden Spear of Justice. 

“Go back to your graves!” 

“ _Hurricane Sweep!_ " 

The two of sisters are currently just about done pushing through a horde of skeletons, zombies, and vengeful apparitions. 

Brunhilde, the larger of the two and wearing a full set of silver armor and a cape over her back, lets out a sigh of relief as the last of the undead horde falls down lifeless. “Sure is a lot of work for some fancy eye,” she remarked. 

Shiori floated beside her, shorter than her sister but no less notable with her green high collared cloak and striking golden eyes, and her hands which were sparking with arcane power during the fight fizzled out before she placed them behind her back. “That _"fancy eye"_ is an artifact from what could possibly be a bygone age and is of historical importance. The guild was right to send their best for the retrieval.” She giggled, putting a hand over her mouth. “That is to say, us.” 

“Why couldn’t this place have normal monsters?” Brunhilde brings up her spear for inspection, noticing all the flesh bits and dried blood on it. Thankfully, the sheer power contained within the weapon is enough to disintegrate whatever had clung to it. 

“The dark magics that pollute the air never gives out such luxuries unfortunately.” Shiori floated over shattered skulls and wraith dust, giving the pile beneath her a look of disgust. 

Brunhilde followed behind her sister, considering that Shiori is the one with true sight and actually knows the way. “So are we close now? All this fighting is working me up an appetite.” She pats her stomach for emphasis. 

Shiori rolls her eyes. “Nearly there, sister. Only a few more rooms to go, and we shall reach the heart of this temple.” 

And reach it they did, and in the very center of the room was an altar with the _Eye of Cipher_ suspended in mid-air in a ghostly blue light. The artifact was... well, it was most definitely an eye. The object itself is metal, though there’s an eerily realistic quality to it that doesn’t seem to be natural. 

Shiori’s flight quickened, and Brunhilde had to pick up the pace to keep up. “Finally,” the cat mage purred, hands hovering around the eye but not so close as to touch it. 

Brunhilde, who was not immediately taken, noticed that the candles that provided the room lighting dim and go out. Looking down, she noticed that the floor glowed an eerie green color. The room started to pulsate like a beating heart. “Uh, sis?” 

“I hope the guild will let me have a good look at this back in the laboratory. Oh, silly me, of course they’ll let me, I’m one of their top members!” 

“ _Siiiiiiiis_ _!_ ” A ring of fire came to life on the far side of the room, and _something big_ has started to materialize at the center of it. 

“What?!” Shiori snapped, turning to her sister. “Can’t you see I’m busy reveling in the—why are you looking behind me?” Brunhilde pointed behind her, and Shiori deigned to follow the pointed finger and... 

“Oh.” 

A large demon – for its red skin, musclebound body, face permanently arranged into a snarl, and horns on the side of its head big and long enough to skewer three whole people could be nothing but – has fully materialized, and its beastly eyes are dead set on the two heroes. 

“A demon as their warden?” Shiori snorted, hands fizzling on with arcane power. “Well at least they didn’t shirk on security.” 

Brunhilde takes a stance, spear at the ready and crackling with golden energy. 

The demon let out an earth-shattering roar.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

He’s been searching for _Best Friend_ master for a long time now. He’s been following his scent, he has! Always chasing and chasing and chasing—but it wasn’t enough. 

It was never enough.

Always gone, always late, always just missed him. 

_*sniff sniff*_

But today is gonna be different, he was sure of it! He’s caught his _Best Friend_ master’s scent for sure, and he wasn’t gonna lose it this time! 

He stops in front of a large hole—an _Entrance_ is what _Best Friend_ master would say; an _Entrance_ to a _T_ _emple –_ another word from _Best Friend_ master. He’s in there! But also... 

_*sniff* *_ _grrrrrrrrrrr_ _*_

Something bad’s in there too. A bad smell, which means there’s _Bad Guys_ in there. Which means _Best Friend_ master is fighting _Bad_ _Guys_ all alone! He hefts up his _Sword_ bone—a gift given to him by _Best Friend_ master—and clamped the handle by his mouth. He charges into the _E_ _ntrance_ hole, vigor renewed at the prospect of finally reuniting with his _Best Friend_ master. 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

The demon closed the gap between it and the heroes with a four-legged charge before raising its fist up for a downward slam. Shiori flew away to the side, completely avoiding the attack, while Brunhilde brought up her spear horizontally to block the blow. Hardened knuckle met enchanted steel and the result was a shockwave that blew back both Brunhilde and the demon. 

Shiori waves a circle with her hands. Three rings of light materialized above the demon before descending. The demon roared as its body forcefully locked up, blinding rings of light closing on its bulking body. “Now!” she shouted to her sister. 

Brunhilde shifts her legs apart and hefts the spear over her shoulder. She breathes in deep and drew her arm back. Golden lightning enveloped her spear and crackled with power; the spear grew in length, doubling its size, though Brunhilde is unfazed by the transformation. And then, she threw. 

***BTOOM***

The demon’s entire right side disappeared—no blood or gore, simply gone—and even the rings that bound it were completely destroyed. Her spear had shot past the demon, embedding itself at the wall behind. The demon’s body shuddered before slumping down lifeless. 

“ _Phew_.” Shiori dusts off her cloak. “Now that _that’s_ taken care of, let’s—” 

The room suddenly shook as a thunderous roar engulfed the room, the previously thought-to-be-dead demon suddenly springing to life, and followed up by a loud meaty squelching sound as the demon’s obliterated right side grew itself back starting from bone to sinews to hide until the last gaps were knitted together and without any evidence of damage at all. 

“Regeneration?” Shiori tsked. “Only demons of higher tiers can do that. They _really_ didn’t shirk on security then.” 

“Outta the way!” 

The two sisters scattered to the side as the demon bowled over them, throwing itself haphazardly like one would with a sack of potatoes—except instead of potatoes, it’s an angry (with a capital A) sack of thick red muscles. The behemoth crashed as it completely misses the two sisters, though that didn’t matter much to furious demon. 

“Round two, sister?” Shiori drew her arms back, arcane power igniting them once again. 

Brunhilde stretched out her hand behind her, golden lightning sparking off her appendage, and the embedded spear shot out of the wall and into her waiting hand. “I still got a lotta juice.” 

The demon, recovered from its failed assault, righted itself up and glared _hatefully_ at the two sisters. The demon roared in fury and prepared for another charge. Before it could however, a small shape blurred above it before the two sisters caught a glimpse of the familiar glint of steel coming down on the demon. 

***SHLING*** ****

The demon’s eyes widened to form an expression of shock (or a close approximation at least). A straight vertical slash ran down the middle of the demon, made visible for a split second before the demon exploded—the infernal beast being banished back from whence it came. 

The culprit responsible for the act skids on the floor before stopping just in front of the two sisters. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a dog—a Shiba Inu, to be exact—with a sword, that seemed rather large for its diminutive size, clamped on its mouth. The dog sheaths the sword rather masterfully, as if trained to do so, before looking up at the two sisters and letting out a happy bark. 

“Uh...” Brunhilde starts but words seemed to fail her at the moment, and since Shiori seemed to be too busy trying to make sense of what happened, she kneels down and raises a hand in a gesture of peace. 

The dog pushes its muzzle against her hand, relishing the contact but then stops suddenly and backs a good foot or two away. Its eyes narrow towards them as if to study them critically. 

“Whhhhoooooohhwwwhat just happened?” came Shiori’s haphazardly put together question. 

“A dog with a sword just came in and sliced an entire demon in half,” replied Brunhilde who was still observing the dog in front of her. 

The dog, once it seemed satisfied with its study, whimpered and started pacing in a circle while shaking its head. 

“What’s it doing now?” 

“I think it’s... sad.” 

Shiori gave the dog a thorough look, noting that it was rather well-groomed for a wild dog. But that last part doesn’t seem right; the dog appears to be in possession of a sword and, unless it had nicked it off of one of the fallen skeletal warriors, it’s a fairly safe assumption that it belonged to the animal. Her eyes glowed a light golden—an effect of her Golden Contacts—as her sights zeroed in on the dog’s collar, or rather what’s _on_ it: an amulet radiating minor magical properties. Normally, such items don’t really warrant more than a passing glance (though she’s sure the guild would appreciate such contributions nonetheless), but she finds it mildly suspicious that a simple dog could ever get its paws on such a thing. 

“Hey, I remember you!” 

“Huh?” Shiori blinked, brought out of her thoughts by her sister. “You know this dog, sis?” she asked, turning to her sister. 

“Sure I do!” Brunhilde nods. “It’s that dog who keeps wandering around our house! Always thought dad just got a dog and forgot to tell us.” 

“ _What_ dog? I would’ve certainly remembered something like _this_.” Shiori huffed, gesturing at the dog. 

“Come on, sis, you remember! It liked to chase the butterflies in our garden,” Brunhilde said. 

Shiori narrowed her eyes to the dog in inspection. Gears started turning in her head, memories from long ago being recalled to the forefront of her mind, and her face flushed a deep red as a look of recognition dawns on her face. “You!” She zipped towards the dog in almost neck breaking speeds, just stopping right in front of the dog’s face. “I remember now! You’re that mutt that keeps nipping at my cloak! What do you have to say for yourself?!” 

The dog licked her face in response, and the cat mage’s furious expression twitched to mild annoyance. The dog barked happily as Shiori drew back shaking her head. 

“Ugh, we don’t have time for this. Let’s just grab the eye and go.” Shiori flies towards the altar. She holds her hand out in expectance. “Get me the canister, will you?” 

Brunhilde did not give her the canister and had moved to pick up the dog and hugged it close to her chest. The dog barked happily and gave her a lick in response. “Can he come with us, sis? I’ll take good care of ‘im, promise.” 

Shiori glared at her sister _most_ balefully. “And be near this slobbering mutt? I think not. Now hand me the canister or I will bind you to where you stand and get it myself.” 

The dog suddenly wrenches itself free from Brunhilde’s hands and bounded towards Shiori, barking to get her attention. Shiori quirked a brow, though is ultimately uninterested. The dog barked again, this time removing its collar and presenting it to the cat mage. 

Shiori scoffed, but deigned to humor the animal at least. Flicking her hand up, the collar floats into the air and she eyes it critically. “And _what_ do you expect me to do with your... collar?” 

The dog let out a huff before making a turning motion with its paw. The notion that the animal could even comprehend her question and respond to it in kind was at least... an incentive to the cat mage. Shiori grabs the collar out of the air and finds that the amulet can be opened and... 

Shiori’s eyes widened. “Get over here.” She waved to Brunhilde, who complied quickly and took a look at what had surprised her sister so much before gasping. 

Within the amulet is an image of a cat person and the dog hugging each other in joy, a moment frozen in time. The cat in the image was clearly young and seemed to embody the phrase “green as grass” in every sense. His wide bright eyes held in them innocence and kindness, his demeanor was that of a child, and even his clothes which are all primarily green colored conveyed a message of “I’m ready to take on the world!” to anyone who glanced at him. But what truly grabbed the two sisters’ attention were his black fur and vivid green eyes. 

“Is that... Mao Mao?” Brunhilde whispered to her sister. 

Shiori didn’t reply, instead racking her mind for any information she had about the wayward brother. With a face to finally go with, she remembers now, if only a little. Yes, it’s coming back to her, the little kitten with a dog by his side that constantly hung around in the dojo. A tiny little thing, always there to watch their training and yet Shiori can’t seem to remember anything else for the life of her. 

“Hey, this is great!” Brunhilde exclaimed and pats her sister in the back in her excitement, the result being Shiori nearly dropping the amulet. “We’re one step closer to finding our little bro!” 

That is to say, this is the first solid lead they’ve had on their wayward brother ever since their mom physically hauled them out of the house to go look for him. 

Shiori turns her attention from the amulet and to the dog. “Dog, where is your master?” 

Much to the sisters’ disappointment, the dog does not answer the question positively. It whimpered and shook its head before pointing to the amulet with its paw. 

“Seems we’re still right where we are,” Shiori grumbled as she tosses the amulet to Brunhilde who caught it and took a moment to stare at the image still. “We’ve wasted enough time here. Sister, the canister please.” She holds out her hand in expectance. 

Brunhilde stared a bit more in the amulet, seeming to drink in and commit to memory the image within before setting it aside and bringing out a sling bag. She took out an ornate glass canister and handed it to her sister. 

Shiori approached the altar, the _Eye of Cipher_ remaining undisturbed by the scuffle that had just occurred, and twists the canister. Steam hissed out as the canister splits into two in the middle. The cat mage carefully inched the two halves of the canister towards the artifact, careful for any reaction from it, and once the eye was finally in the middle, she pushed the two halves together and twisted them closed. Shiori waits for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief and turns to her sister who once again had the dog in her arms. She narrowed her eyes. “We are not taking it with us.” 

Brunhilde stuck her tongue out in defiance. “Too bad, sis. I’m keeping ‘im,” she replied, hugging the dog tighter just for emphasis. 

Shiori glared and growled at her sister before schooling her features. “ _Fine._ But it’s _your_ responsibility, and if that dog starts biting my cloak again, I will freeze the both of you for an entire day.” 

In spite of the cat mage’s scathing attitude, Brunhilde’s face lit up. “Thanks, sis!” 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

He does not know how to describe the feeling he felt when he encountered two not _Best Friend_ master when he was sure he had followed the scent of _Best Friend_ master, but luckily _Best Friend_ master had graciously given him a range of words to work with. 

_Disappointing, Angry, Upset, Confused._ He was sure he was following the right scent! But then... 

_*sniff* *sniff*_

They smelled like _Best Friend_ master. Very very much. So he was clearly on the right track, right? 

He does not know. But this is also the first time he was so close to _Best_ _Friend_ master’s scent and he remembers their scent now. These two were _Best Friend_ master’s kin! Maybe they know where _Best Friend_ master is! 

So when the large one picked him up and took him with them, he will stay with them. Maybe... 

Maybe they can lead him to _Best Friend_ master, and that makes him _Happy_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe out there, folks, and do feel free to leave some feedbacks. Remember, feedback makes the creative world go round, dear readers!


	6. Sooner rather than later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past meet the present, ever so close to the future.

Mao Mao will admit that holing himself in a motel room to hide from his family was a _bit_ of an overreaction on his part. After all, heroes don’t cower in fear; _cowards_ cower, and Mao Mao the soon-to-be-legendary-hero is definitely not a coward. It’s an affront to both his family name and his own honor! After this revelation, Mao Mao and Badgerclops had left the motel and continued their adventures in pursuit of glory and fame! 

This newfound resolve lasted for only two days until the duo ran out of food and had to stop at the nearest town to restock. 

Okay, so they hit a little bump on the road. No biggie, Mao Mao had thought. It’ll just be a quick resupply and then it’s back to grand heroic adventures! The town they decided to stop by was called _Klutzerbin_ , a modest little town owned by the _Mercantile Guild_ which translates it to being one of many hubs for merchants and traders that are both licensed and/or official members of said guild. It was here the two decided to replenish their supplies for the journey ahead, and Mao Mao is quick to get into business.

Badgerclops, on the other hand, not so much. 

“Badgerclops, put the cowl away. The local authorities are starting to eye us,” Mao Mao growled, spying two armed men giving them a hard stare from a respectable distance. Klutzerbin, being only a small town, don’t really have much in terms of security. The two are probably low-ranking mercenaries at best, employed to only respond to aggressors. Still, Mao Mao would prefer _not_ to antagonize any form of law enforcement.

“No way, man. This is the best thing I got right now to hide my face from _her_ ," Badgerclops replied, pulling the cowl further down his face in defiance.

Mao Mao scoffed. “Now who’s overreacting?” He turned his attention away from the guards and back to the apple in his hand, inspecting it for any bruises. 

“No, this is appropriate reaction when you’re a former criminal and your best friend’s mom turned out to be the freaking _Iron Dragon_ ," Badgerclops retorted. 

Mao Mao huffed irritably. “It’s Iron _Hurricane_ , why does everybody get that part wrong?” He quickly turned to the old lady behind the stand. “Uh, how much for five of these?” 

“Ten bits, dear.”

“We used to have horror stories about her, dude,” Badgerclops interjected, his open eye darting from corner to corner. “I heard she can see through walls and shoot lasers out of her eyes!”

“Complete fabrications, made to demonize and stain public perception of her no doubt,” Mao Mao waved off as he dug into his pockets for some money and handed it to the lady behind the stand. “Besides, she’s retired. Her days of gallivanting across the land are long past her and she has settled into a life of motherhood.” 

“Being retired doesn’t mean she can’t still bust out a giant axe and chop my head off, man!” Badgerclops fired back. 

“For your information, she wielded a golden buster sword.” Mao Mao was just about done shoving the apples into the sack he’s been carrying when he spotted three cloaked figures at the corner of his vision making their way towards them. “Let’s go,” he said and started dragging Badgerclops by the arm.  
****

“Be quiet,” Mao Mao hissed quietly. “We’re being followed. Three unknowns right behind us.”

Badgerclops quieted down. “Oh. _Oh_. Uh, you see what they look like?” 

“Hard to tell, face covered completely. There’s an alley right by the corner. We’ll lead them there and deal with it ourselves.” 

The two of them waded through the crowd, constantly making quick glances at the cloaked strangers following them from behind. As they made their way through, it became clear that they are purposefully being tailed by the hooded figures. To Mao Mao, they’re clearly bandits that have snuck inside the town. Though inconspicuousness doesn’t seem to be part of their criteria as their heavily cloaked appearance drew plenty of attention. Still, the rule of thumb in this town is that only instigators of trouble are arrested, and since the three hooded figures are not filling that condition, Mao Mao and Badgerclops are left to handle the problem themselves.

The alleyway they decided to enter was long, narrow, and generally unassuming as far as alleyways go (not that Mao Mao knows, of course). Still, it shall the purpose intended for one such location. Mao Mao and Badgerclops didn’t stop walking until they were face to face with the wall at the end of the alley, giving each other a quick glance of understanding. Here, they will make their stand. The two of them remained staring at the wall, backs turned against their mystery followers. Both of them tensed as they heard the shuffling of cloth, likely the figures removing their cloaks. And then, a voice spoke. 

“Crikey, that really you, Badger?” 

Badgerclops whipped around to face the speaker—a small heavily tech-augmented green frog with a monocle over his mechanical right eye and a bow-tie tied around his neck. Accompanying him are two taller and similarly augmented people—a rat whose entire body is completely mechanical with a singular wheel in the place of her legs, and a mole with massive cybernetic arms. “Wha—Tiny?! How did you...?” 

“Knew I recognized that blubber anywhere!” laughed the frog, “Tiny” as Badgerclops called him, before his eyes narrowed to a fierce glare. “And hanging out with a lawman too.” 

“Tiny Toad, Ratracer, Bullmozer,” Mao Mao growled, turning around and advanced towards the trio with his sword drawn out. “You three are wanted for various accounts of thievery, illegal augmentation, public harassment, and vandalism. Come quietly or we will be forced to use extreme measures.” 

“That right, lawman?” Tiny Toad chuckled. “By all means, go ahead. Why don'cha start with ‘ol Badger over there?” He pointed to Badgerclops who grunted uneasily at the suggestion.

Mao Mao spared a quick glance at his partner before growling at the three criminals. “Badgerclops is under _my_ jurisdiction, and last I checked, he has repented for his past crimes. You, on the other hand, have yet to atone.” 

“And what’re you gonna do ‘bout it? You gonna put me and my crew behind bars?” Tiny Toad goaded while his cronies laughed alongside him. 

“That is the plan, yes,” Mao Mao dryly replied. “Surrender now and this encounter won’t have to turn violent.” 

“Too bad!” Tiny Toad laughed. “Things aren’t gonna be so easy this time, lawman! We brought weapons!” 

As if on command, lightning arced out of the diminutive toad’s body and scorched the walls around them in the process. For the other two, boosters morphed out of Ratracers’s back and shoulders while Bullmozer’s mechanical arms shifted into large drills. 

“Badgerclops, provide cover fire,” Mao Mao commanded, shifting into a fighting stance. 

“No.” Badgerclops stepped beside Mao Mao, his robo-arm shifting into an arm cannon. “You take on the other two, me and Tiny are gonna have a little talk.” 

Mao Mao glanced at his partner with a raised brow. “Uh... Okay.” 

“Get ‘im!” Tiny Toad shouted, and the confrontation transformed into an all-out brawl. Ratracer’s boosters roared to life and she boosted towards the two, Bullmozer leapt into the air as his drills whirred quickly, and Tiny Toad hopped from wall to wall as sparks sizzle from underneath his feet. Mao Mao rushed forward, eager to meet his combatants. Badgerclops proceeded to open fire, specifically aiming for Tiny Toad.

Bullmozer takes the first strike, his right drill-hand shooting forward to strike. Mao Mao halts his own advance and raised his sword to block the attack, _CLINGZZZZT_ , gold met iron and Mao Mao grunted as he was forced back by the force of Bullmozer’s spinning drill-hand. 

Mao Mao's ears flicked, the sound of booster fire getting dangerously close. He forced his current opponent away and rolled to the side as Ratracer sped through where he once stood. He quickly stood up but then yelped as a metallic hand snatched him by the collar and slammed him to the wall before being roughly tossed away. 

“Not so tough now, lawman?” Bullmozer sneered with Ratracer laughing along by his side. 

Mao Mao coughed momentarily before standing up and fixing the two with a glare. Tauntingly, he beckoned them closer.

“Yeah?! How 'bout this then, our special attack!” With Ratracer’s declaration, the two cyborgs stood ready side by side. Bullmozer’s drill-hands started rotating faster, the air visibly being displaced as it spun, and Ratracer’s boosters flared up stronger. 

“ _Booster Drill Combo_!” Bullmozer shouted, and the two launched themselves towards Mao Mao.

Mao Mao shifted his foot securely. He rested his sword by his hip and took a deep breath. He stood still as the sound of engine and drills got closer, and then at the perfect moment, he let instincts take over.

 _Slash_ _Slash_ _Slash_

“Ack!” “Oof!”

Three clean strike and the attack of his opponents passed him. Mao Mao turned around to witness his handiwork; the two had crashed into a heap and had quite literally been disarmed; Bullmozer’s drill arms have been sliced clean from the wrist and Ratracer’s wheel-leg shared the same fate.

On the other side, Badgerclops and Tiny Toad tussle. Badgerclops fired repeatedly at Tiny, his shots barely missing as the frog zigzags across the alley walls. 

“Should'a known you’d rat us out, Badger. Always pegged you for a yellow belly.” 

“Wha _—You_ left me! I almost got buried by flaming rocks! My _foot_ was crushed by rocks!” 

“Hah!” Tiny laughed as landed right in front of Badgerclops. Just as the badger attempted to shield his face with his hands, Tiny launched forward and slammed headfirst into Badgerclops’ chest, sending the cyborg slamming to the wall behind him. The toad then made his way over to the fallen cyborg and hopped on Badgerclops's chest. "You were always the weakest out of us, Badger, never had the stomach to do what's needed. Should'a let you go long ago."

Badgerclops gritted his teeth in anger. "You... You _jerk_!" Acting quickly, Badgerclops reached for Tiny’s bow-tie. Once he grabbed a hold of it, he twisted the accessory.

“Wha—?!” Tiny gasped as his entire body suddenly locked up, his electrical power fading away as well. “What did you do?!” 

Badgerclops quickly grabbed him, the toad’s diminutive size making it so the his hand easily clasped around him. “Yeah, I was your go-to for maintenance,” he said as he stood up. “You really think I don’t know where your on/off switch is?” 

Tiny started to sweat, somehow. “Eheh, c’mon, Badger. Y’know I was just kiddin’, you’re not just gonna lemme go to prison, right? We’re friends, aren’t we?” 

Badgerclops’s eye twitched. “You...” He started to squeeze tighter and press Tiny’s face to his own, expression twisting with indignant anger. “You got a lotta nerve, springing me that _friends_ card bull hockey after that. Why don’t you _give it a bloody rest_!” He hoisted Tiny up, extending his arm far enough to reach past the top of the surrounding walls before bringing it down to a powerful slam. 

Which, by the way, was on top of the pile that made two thirds of Thicket Thieves and effectively knocking out the whole group. 

Badgerclops panted angrily, barely noticing Mao Mao making his way towards him. “... You okay?” Mao Mao asked. 

Badgerclops took a deep breath. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine," he sighed.

Mao Mao scratched the back of his head. “I mean, we can talk about it if you want.” 

“No, no. I’m fine now. I needed this.” 

Mao Mao coughed awkwardly. “Anyway, we should get these guys to the au—” 

***BOOM***

A large and loud crash interrupted Mao Mao, jolting the two from their conversation. The duo rushed out of the alley to see what the commotion was, and lo and behold, an oversized anchor has crashed in the middle of town square. The chain attached to it led up to the sky where a large airship hung over the town like a looming giant. 

Then, a voice yelled out. **“** **Greetings foolish townsfolk, we are the** **Sky Pirates** **! And we’re here to do some good old-fashioned plundering!** **"**

As the voice finished its bellow, two figures descended in a free fall from the ship. They landed with the grace of a meteorite, crashing next to the dropped anchor and kicking up dust as they came. When the dust finally settled, the two figures are finally revealed. One is a large, beefy, and overly broad bull with a skull necklace hanging around his neck. The other one is an equally large, though not in height, gorilla with shoulders covered in metal spiked armour and a peg leg. 

The voice above once again bellowed. **“** **These are my cohorts, Beef Master and Thunder Fist, and I highly suggest you** **_don’t_ ** **get in their way! Or do! They’ve been itching for something to punch!"**

Badgerclops’s eye widened. “P-p-p-pi—!” 

“ _Pirates_!” Mao Mao finished with a huge grin. “Finally, a worthy challenge! I still have a chance of becoming a legendary hero!" The cat unsheathed his sword once more and prepared to rush the two pirates. He was stopped however when Badgerclops reached out to him and held him in a tight grip with his robo-arm. “ _Hphm-hmmmphh_ _?!_ ” Mao Mao glared up at Badgerclops as his partner dove back into the alleyway. 

Badgerclops sighed. “Okay, I think we’re—Can you stop that?!” he yelled at Mao Mao who was clawing at his robo-arm to escape, earning him angry muffles from the cat. Badgerclops groaned exasperatedly. “Look, promise you're not gonna run off and fight the sky pirates if I let you go, alright?” 

“ _Hmrrrmr_?!" Mao Mao gave the badger a look somewhere between accusatory and scathing. 

“Alright, glad we can agree on this," Badgerclops said, letting go of his partner.

“Why not?!” Mao Mao yelled, throwing his hands up. “This is our chance to finally make a name for ourselves and you just wanna— _hmppppphh_ _?!_ " He was once again interrupted when Badgerclops pulled him in and clamped his mouth shut again. The reason for the action is made clear when they heard footsteps coming closer followed by an inquisitive sniff. The pirate named _Thunder Fist_ had come to investigate the noise. Badgerclops inched farther away from the pirate, but the sounds of his shuffling feet only drew the pirate closer. 

“Hey, quit that.” However, before the gorilla could investigate further, he was dragged back by his partner. “Orangusnake told us to loot only.”

A snort and the sound of chest being pounded was the reply. 

“Oh no, you’re not even gonna touch a hair on any of ‘em. Last time we let you out, you had an entire guild come after us. Orangusnake wants us to get moving as soon as possible so stick to looting and put down any wannabe heroes quick, got it?” 

A pause, then a huff.

“Good. Now c’mon.” And with that, the two pirates left and it was only when their footsteps can no longer be heard that Badgerclops finally let Mao Mao go again. 

“Will you quit that?! You know I don’t like it when you just... pick me off my feet like that!” 

“Listen, man. I don’t think we should mess with these guys,” Badgerclops said. 

“ _Why_ not?! They’re pirates, here to steal and harm innocent people and _we’re_ heroes! It’s our duty to put a stop to these villains!” Mao Mao argued, jabbing a finger at Badgerclops’s chest. 

“Look.” Badgerclops pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “I don’t think we can take these guys on. This isn't just a bunch of troublemakers looking to get some attention, they’re full-blown pirates with cannons and an _airship_.”

On that part, Mao Mao paused in thought, his headstrong demeanour faltering slightly. Badgerclops continued, “So think for a second what happens if we come out swinging at them and _provoke_ them to bring out the big guns. This town’ll turn into a war zone in a heartbeat.” 

“But we could—!” Mao Mao attempted to argue back, but stopped. “We can definitely...” Finding nothing concrete to add, the cat simply grumbled and repeatedly stomped his feet to the ground in frustration. 

“So, and stay with me on this, why don’t we stay here and _not_ antagonize the dangerous and well-armed sky pirates and just sit this one out.”

“B—but the people...!” 

“Will have to just deal with it. It’s better to just cut our losses and not escalate.” Mao Mao recoiled as if physically slapped by Badgerclops’s judgement, an act that didn’t went unnoticed by the badger. “Look, I’m not saying we should just abandon the villagers outright. We can help them out later when this all blows over. Get me?”

Mao Mao cupped his chin in thought, mulling over what Badgerclops said. “You’re... you’re right. Of course these villains wouldn’t hesitate to rain fire upon the hapless townsfolk.” 

Badgerclops smiled. “Great! Glad you’re seeing it my way. So let’s just wait and—”

“Wait until they leave the town, away from any potential innocent to get caught in the crossfire, board their ship, beat up the sky pirates and then take back everything they stole!” Mao Mao interjected, pumping his fists in the air. “Good thinking, Badgerclops! You may just be just as great a hero as I am!” 

“Wha—But I, _urghhhh_ ,” Badgerclops groaned, facepalming. “Fine. _Fine_. We can... We can do that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, at this point any apology I would ever make would seem...dubious. Again and again, I'd say I was sorry for taking what feels like an eternity for so little, make an excuse of either an actual IRL problem or some other self-deprecation joke 'cause that's what's topical, right? 
> 
> This time, I don't have anything. I was just goddamn unmotivated for the entire 3 months or so that I've been trying and failing to just get my life in general in check. And even though I would like to say that those three months were actually productive, it's not. I gotta come clean, I was lazy and just... not getting anywhere. The allotted time for this chapter is probably a month or less worth of work. Mainly for the fight scene which took an ungodly amount of time to get myself to finish, and it's not even that good! I just... fuck. 
> 
> You, my dear readers, I really don't deserve you. Here I am springing my emotional baggage onto you when what you want is to read. Then again, I put this note on the end so you're just reading this because you're curious. If you... If you really read this far into this, you are a better person than I could probably ever hope to be... Shit, this got sad didn't it? Uh, stay safe out there, folks, and do feel free to leave some feedback! Remember, feedback makes the creative world go round, dear readers!


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